Wayne Rooney may miss Manchester United trip to Moscow for birth of first child

Wayne Rooney has admitted he could miss Manchester United's Champions League game against CSKA Moscow in Russia on Oct 21 to be at the birth of his first child.

Mum's the word: Wayne Rooney is planning to be with his wife when their first child is born at the end of OctoberPhoto: GETTY IMAGES

By Mark Ogden

7:22AM BST 02 Oct 2009

United can all but confirm progression from Group B with a victory against Juande Ramos's CSKA in the Luzhniki Stadium, the scene of United's 2008 Champions League final triumph against Chelsea.

But with Sir Alex Ferguson's squad due to fly to the Russian capital on Oct 19 before returning in the early hours of Oct 22, Rooney faces the prospect of being 1,600 miles from wife Coleen in the days leading up to the couple's due date of Oct 24 – the player's own birthday.

The United forward insists he is determined to be at the birth and, while conceding that he is planning to fly to Moscow with his team-mates, the 23 year-old admits he could yet remain at home if the picture changes.

Rooney said: "Coleen is due just after the Moscow game. It's a long way [to Moscow], but I have a job to go and play for United and, unless anything changes, I will be there.

"But of course, I want to be there for the birth of my child and, if anything happens around that time, then I am sure I will stay back."

Should the trip to Moscow pass without Rooney being summoned to the maternity ward, the Premier League trip to Liverpool on Oct 25 could also involve an anxious wait for the England forward.

The Anfield clash is likely to pose United's toughest test of the campaign so far but, having won nine of 10 competitive games this season, Rooney insists that the team are proving there is life after Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford.

"We are playing different football now. Last season, the team was based a lot around Cristiano, but this year, other players are chipping in with goals.

"I feel we have had unfair criticism since the start of the season. We weren't playing as well as we could, but we have won every game since Burnley and we still get criticised.

"That's always going to happen at a club like this. We have bounced back really well and are top of the league. We want to carry that on."

Carrick has struggled to claim a regular position at United this season, with rumours persisting that he was paying the price for an uncharacteristically poor performance in the Champions League final defeat against Barcelona last May.

The 28 year-old insists that he is ready to meet the challenge of fighting to reclaim his place in the team, however. "It has been a little bit frustrating for me, but you trust in the manager. He knows exactly what to do, what team to pick and who needs to play.

"He has to do that all season. I am aware of that and, although I want to play every game, I don't doubt that you have to be patient.

"It has never been a case of 'what have I done wrong?' I have been here long enough now to know how things work.

"Just because you sit out one or two games doesn't mean he has fallen out with you. It is just a case of him looking at the long haul all the time. Everyone has to be fresh. That is how it is here and you have to understand that."

Ferguson has confirmed that Ben Foster will return in goal against Sunderland on Saturday after being rested in favour of Tomasz Kuszczak against Wolfsburg.